Russia: Gay American Actor Makes Waves in Russia

American actor Odin Lund Biron, who plays a starring role in one of Russia's most popular sitcoms, has come out of the closet. Biron stars alongside Ivan Okhlobystin, arguably one of Russia's most outspoken entertainment personalities, who is well-known for his homophobic diatribes.

"There are some things that are not worth knowing," Okhlobystin Tweeted in reference to Biron's sexual orientation Wednesday morning, pleading: "God protect us from this wickedness!"

The show's fan base flooded Russian social media with the news of Biron's coming out. Though social networks were replete with messages of disbelief and disgust, some fans of "Interny" expressed support for Biron, congratulating him on the bold move. Coming out of the closet is a high-risk endeavor in the world of Russian show business. Television host Anton Krasovsky was promptly fired from his job at Kontr TV in 2013 after announcing he was gay on air. Read More

Sam Smith vetoes Russia gigs in protest over country's stance on gay rights

Superstar Sam Smith is set to add Sunday night’s Grammys to his global conquests – but there is one place the singer will never venture and that’s Russia. Despite a huge fan base in the country, the singer has said he detests ­president Vladimir Putin’s stance on ­homosexuality.

"I don't hate Russia, but I just will never go to Russia," he said. "What they do to gay people there is just disgusting and it makes me very angry."  Read More

Cameroon: Portrait of the activist as a young man, and now

The story of the first 32 years of his life, including his coming out, his decision to establish CAMFAIDS, the murder of fellow activist Eric Ohena Lembembe in 2013, and his decision to move to France, where he has been granted asylum.


“I knew that I wasn’t insane or possessed, but my family didn’t understand,” says Dominique Menoga, describing the awkward day when he came out to his family.

Menoga, the former president of the LGBTI rights and anti-AIDS activist group CAMFAIDS (the Cameroonian Foundation for AIDS), recalls that the revelation made his family  tense and upset, and that his father started planning to send him to a traditional healer. Read More

US: Survivors of 1980s AIDS crisis reveal what happened to them

From the role of lesbians to the vanishing of whole neighborhoods, real LGBTI people share their experiences. Survivors of the 1980s AIDS crisis have shared accounts of their experiences.

As the UK celebrates LGBT History Month, users of Reddit revealed what it was like to be living in what felt like a constant state of tragedy. Read More

India: Pride Parade Amid Fears Created by Return of Law That Bans Gay Sex

Hundreds of people turned out for Mumbai's annual Pride Parade on Saturday, demanding equality and rights for the LGBT community in India.

Wearing an array of outfits, participants danced under huge rainbow flags and carried multi-colored balloons through neighborhoods of India's financial capital chanting "Homophobia Bharat chorro," a slogan that translates in English to "Homophobia get lost from India." Read More

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India's Justice Shah: Sec 377 damaging psychological well-being of homosexuals

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Law Commission Chairman Justice Ajit Prakash Shah has said that the Supreme Court's December 2013 decision to uphold Section 377 of the IPC and re-criminalise gay sex was constitutionally wrong as it deprives homosexuals of basic rights and also affects them psychologically.

 "Section 377 is discriminatory in its application, unreasonable in its intent, deprives a group of its personal autonomy and violates individual privacy and human dignity. Consequences of the laws in our country on gay sex include damage to the psychological well being of homosexuals, encouragement of violence and facilitation of police harassment and discrimination against the LGBT community," Justice Shah said.   Read More

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Israel: Hebro Presents First-Ever Gay Jewish Auschwitz Tour

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Jayson Littman, founder of Hebro Travel, a new tour company serving “gay Jews and those who love us,” is serving up trips that blend historical exploration, cultural discovery — and some serious partying.

An Israel trip timed for Tel Aviv Pride in June will take travelers to a famously gay-friendly environment. But it’s Littman’s latest tour offering that’s generating attention — and raising eyebrows. The history-making Poland & Prague Pride Trip includes a Jewish heritage tour of the Kazimierz District and Schindler’s List route; visits to historic synagogues; and stops at Auschwitz and Theresienstadt and ends with Prague’s Gay Pride festivities.  Read More

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Chinese short film appealing to parents to accept their gay children goes viral

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Ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays next week, PFLAG China has launched a short film to promote family reunions between parents and their gay children. The touching short film, which tells the story of a young gay man who became estranged from his parents after coming out, and eventually being accepted by them years later, has gone viral with over 100 million views. Read More 

China: Alibaba’s Latest Marketing Campaign Supports Same-Sex Marriage

Alibaba marketplace Taobao will celebrate Valentine’s Day by sending gay couples to the U.S. and other countries where same-sex marriage is legal. 

Taobao, China’s largest online marketplace by far, will team up with Danlan, a gay-focused website, as well as advocacy groups including Beijing LGBT Center and PFLAG China, for We Do. Public votes will narrow down the 20 couples listed on We Do’s site to ten, who will receive a free trip to California, one of the states in the U.S. where same-sex marriage is legal. Read More

Jamaica: Harrison-Henry Vows To Defend Rights Of All

Arlene Harrison Henry, who was appointed recently as Jamaica's first female public defender, has indicated that her mission is to defend the rights of all citizens, especially the vulnerable groups in society.

"The LGBT (lesbians, gays, bisexual, and transgender) group is also a delicate matter in our country, but they, too, are entitled to equality, representation, and equal protection of laws," she said.

Henry added: "The bottom line is I won't be partial, and if I encounter someone from that group whose rights have been breached, I will be defending them just the same, and every sector in society will be represented." Read More 

Beverly Hills Hotel Boycott: John Legend Backs Out of 'L.A. Confidential' Party

Los Angeles Confidential's plans to host the first major entertainment industry party inside the Beverly Hills Hotel amid a widespread Hollywood boycott have backfired as its cover star John Legend has backed out of a planned appearance and the Human Rights Campaign has fired off an official letter to the mag's publisher.


The party would be the first notable event held at the BHH since early 2014 when the boycott started following the Sultan of Brunei's passage of barbaric Sharia Law, which calls for the stoning of gays and adulterers. (Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah owns the BHH and the Hotel Bel-Air through his Dorchester Collection.) Read More